


Day Three - Alternate Universe

by Fafsernir



Series: Torchwood Fest [4]
Category: Torchwood
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, Homophobia, M/M, Mild Language
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-10-13
Updated: 2016-10-13
Packaged: 2018-08-22 06:57:13
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,103
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8276866
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Fafsernir/pseuds/Fafsernir
Summary: Written for Torchwood Fest, Day Three: "Alternate Universe"





	

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks ceywoozle as always! It's the first prompt I wrote for this Fest ;) (I like high school/college AUs, I must admit.)

All in all, Ianto didn't mind being called a faggot. Well, of course he did mind, but his main fear was that his sister would hear about it and tell their parents. He was afraid someone would walk by his house saying – purposely, a bit too loud – that he, Ianto Jones, was gay.

Which, first of all, he wasn't. He himself was still trying to determine what he was, but the fear itself was stupid. Nobody would do that, right?

And life at school was awful now that he had stupidly been seen with a man. They weren't even together. Ianto had just kissed him because it had felt like a good thing to do. They had been talking for a while and the guy was truly handsome and flirting, so Ianto had listened to his instinct.

He hadn't expected people to actually see them kissing. And he hadn't expected them to spread the word and make it look like he had jumped on that Jack guy. They had both clearly enjoyed it, but Jack was older, Jack was taller, Jack was popular. So Jack wasn't gay and Ianto had clearly forced him, or it had been a bet or a game. So people – students, even some friends – had started calling him a fag. First behind his back, then more and more to his face, until someone had given him a folded paper in class with the word written on it. As he had refused to show the teacher, he had been given detention.

The worst thing in this, apart from the constant fear that his family would find out, was that Ianto actually liked Jack. He had done so for some time, maybe because Jack embodied everything he wanted to be – confident, at ease with people, talkative, constantly laughing – but also, just maybe, because he was handsome, had beautiful blue eyes, and was smart. Ianto knew there was more to him and Jack. He had even started talking to Jack about more personal things, and that was why he had kissed him: he had thought that Jack was interested as well. Apparently he wasn't, as the gossip revolved around Ianto being gay, not Jack, and Jack wasn't saying a thing about it and hadn't spoken to Ianto since. If Ianto were to be honest, he missed him, because Jack had been a friend for him. Not a very close one, but still, a friend.

 

That was why when Jack came, almost a week after the gossip and insults had begun, Ianto wanted to ignore him. He tried to disappear into the wall and to make his friends understand that they needed to be quiet, but these things never worked, and Jack walked towards him, determined, nervously playing with the handle of his bag.

“Can I talk to you in private?” Jack asked when he reached Ianto. Ianto glanced at him but quickly looked away.

“I'm busy,” Ianto replied, not really wanting to talk to him. Was Jack going to humiliate him even more?

“Ianto,” Jack insisted, putting his hand on Ianto's arm, and Ianto briefly closed his eyes to suppress the shivers that ran down his back. “Please, at least listen to what I want to say.”

“It's okay, I don't need to.”

“I'm sorry, Ianto. Okay?” Jack said, and Ianto looked at him. It looked as if apologizing had taken all of Jack's will. Ianto tried to smile, but couldn't do it. He stared deeply into Jack's eyes and could only shake his head. A small shake that looked like it broke Jack's heart, but maybe that was just what Ianto wanted to see.

“We'll leave you to it.”

Ianto's head snapped to the side. His friends were leaving. He and Jack would still be in a public place, but they could at least have a discussion without everyone else hearing it. Ianto watched them walk away with mixed feelings.

“I really am sorry,” Jack insisted, and tightened his hold on Ianto's arm, forcing Ianto's attention back onto him. It hurt, but Ianto didn't want to show any pain so he said nothing. Jack pulled at his arm, making Ianto look at him and Ianto did, with sad, exhausted eyes that left Jack gaping.

“There's nothing to say, Jack, I get it,” Ianto sighed. He really didn't want to have this conversation.

“No, there's more. Don't I get a say in this?”

“You missed your chance, Jack. You chose silence.”

“Please, Ianto, don't do this...”

“Do what, Jack?”

“Ignore me.”

Ianto scoffed and freed himself brutally, but Jack was quicker and grabbed Ianto's shoulders, forcing him to look Jack in the eye.

“I like you.”

“Yeah, right, great way of showing it,” Ianto said, and looked away.

To his surprise, Jack didn't try to convince him with words any more. No, he just crashed their lips together, gripping Ianto's shoulders even tighter, as if he was afraid Ianto would pull away. Which he probably would have done, to be honest, but more from surprise than because he was repulsed.

Right, Jack. Kissing him. In front of everyone. Not everyone. Maybe two people. Maybe nobody was there, because Jack sure wouldn't kiss him in front of anyone.

Or maybe he was just doing this.

They parted and Jack whispered, “I meant it.”

Ianto opened his eyes, staring directly into blue eyes that amazed him, lips already swollen and a head full of... of a confused mess asking itself what had just happened. He also registered people watching. Not that it was really important...

Jack was looking at him, apparently waiting for something, but Ianto had nothing to give. Oh, Jack's hands were cupping Ianto's face now...

Oh God, Ianto felt so stupid suddenly. And so he was the one to reach out again, raising his head to kiss Jack as Jack was a bit taller than him (Ianto was sure they would be the same height soon enough.) While lips tasted lips, hands stroked cheeks, chin, neck, hair. They parted to breathe, still close to each other and neither wanting to step back.

“Hey faggot! You found some stupid boy to fuck?!” A voice broke the moment and Ianto closed his eyes.

“Sorry,” he whispered.

Jack scoffed and turned to where the voice had come from, taking Ianto's hand in his and walking to the little group of friends. If Ianto had been the kind of man to blush he would have been red, as it was he just felt uncomfortable. He tried to get away but Jack wouldn't let him.

“Jack, please don't do anything...”

“Do you have a problem with gay people?” Jack asked the little group, ignoring Ianto.

“Yeah, that's disgusting!” One boy answered, but the others seemed intimidated by Jack, not having recognised him at first but now clearly afraid.

“And just because we kissed you assumed we were gay?”

“Well aren't you?”

“No, dumbass. The world isn't black or white, hetero or gay. If you want to insult me, use the proper terms at least and learn what you're talking about," Jack snapped, and they all took another step back, except the one who was doing the talking.

“That's still disgusting, right guys?” He asked, turning to his friends. Most of them shook their heads, some shrugged.

“I mean it's not as gross as my mom with the baker...”

“And they're not hurting anyone...”

“They're kinda cute to be honest...”

“What are you saying?” The boy stuttered, clearly realising his friends maybe weren't homophobes, but just following him. Not any more apparently, not with someone older and stronger in front of them. Someone they respected and maybe feared a little.

“Oh you want to know what they're saying?” Jack said, letting Ianto go and stepping forward where he suddenly leaned towards the speaker and whispered something in his ear.

Ianto, left behind, finally looked up for the first time. He looked at the group of friends. One of them he had once considered a friend of his own and the girl now smiled weakly and looked away with shame. Before Ianto could do anything, Jack was back at his side and the boy he had been whispering to was blushing and breathing heavily. Jack simply grinned.

“Is that a hard-on?” Someone tried to whisper, but it came out too loud, and everyone gasped.

Ianto looked at Jack who winked at him and took Ianto's hand in his own again, dragging him away from the now arguing group, with their supposed leader trying to explain.

“What did you do?” Ianto asked as they sat in a quiet spot.

Jack smiled. “Just told him what being with a man felt like,” he shrugged.

Ianto looked down at their still entwined fingers. “So you've been with boys before,” he said calmly.  
“Yeah. And girls. You?”

“A girl, once. But we were young. And... I kissed a boy for a stupid bet.”

“I see...” Jack put his second hand on their joined ones, drawing Ianto's attention. He looked up, surprised. Jack seemed hesitant, almost ashamed. “I'm sorry,” Jack said after a moment. “I didn't think it would... well I didn't think at all. I just knew I wanted you, but I thought it was a trick, a trap, I don't know what. Didn't think you actually wanted this. And I didn't want to expose my sexual orientation like this for nothing.”

“I understand,” Ianto said. “But why are you doing this now?”

“'Cause I thought it would pass and that I wouldn't care about people insulting you, but I do. I wanted to come earlier to apologise, or to say something, but I'm like everyone else.”

“What do you mean?”

“I'm a coward, I didn't want people to make fun of me like they did to you.”

“What changed?”

“You.”

“I didn't change.”

“No, but I did. And I'll take the risk.”

It was extremely soppy and Ianto would normally have laughed, but as it was Jack saying these things to him, about him, while looking directly at him, he didn't. And as sentimental as it sounded, it felt good when it was said directly to you.

“Will you?” Jack asked.

“I'm sorry, what?” Ianto say, lost in his thoughts.

“Take the risk with me?”

“You mean take the risk of everyone pointing at me and calling me a fag?” Ianto didn't blame Jack – well, maybe a bit – but that didn't mean he accepted and was happy with what happened. Jack lost his cute smile. “Yeah,” Ianto continued, “I guess I've got nothing left to lose now. I just have one question, though. Do you want to keep it secret? I'd understand if--”

“No,” Jack interrupted him. “It's not even a question. I don't want people to keep insulting you. And I certainly don't want it to go any further. I'm not saying they'll stop, but maybe it'll make it better.”

“Or worse, for you too.”

“I know how to defend myself. And you, if needed.”

“Yeah, right,” Ianto scoffed.

“What? You don't believe me?” Jack asked, surprised. Ianto chuckled when Jack unconsciously straightened and tried to show how muscled he was.

“I'm sure you're capable of it, it's just that I can take care of myself.”

“Oh,” Jack pouted, almost disappointed.

“So don't upset me, you might regret it.”

“I won't upset you,” Jack sighed, and Ianto burst out laughing. “What now?” Jack demanded.

“That's extremely ridiculous, don't say that. If we're going to hang out together, you're going to upset me at some point, that's how life is. I'll get bored otherwise.”

“Right,” Jack nodded, smiling.

Ianto shook his head and looked around him, until he felt Jack's fingers tightening around his. He turned to him and moved back in surprise when Jack tried to kiss him without warning.

“Are you okay?” Jack asked.

“Yeah it's just... I should go,” Ianto whispered, looking at Jack's lips and not moving at all.

“Is everything all right?” Jack asked again, concerned.

Ianto shook his head. He freed himself from Jack's hand and stood up. “No, I mean, I should go because my Mum's waiting for me.”

“Oh. Okay. Yeah, sure. See you tomorrow then?”

“Yup,” Ianto smiled as he helped Jack to his feet. Jack stood there for a few seconds then finally started to move.

“Well, bye,” he shrugged.

“Jack?”

“Yeah?”

Ianto smiled and put his hand on Jack's shirt and kissed him. He let it linger a bit too long and pursed his lips when they parted.

“Okay, see you,” Ianto said and after seeing the dumbfounded expression on Jack's face, he turned away with a genuinely happy smile.

 


End file.
